Ticket-pad.



DA'LDNTDDH1B.` 11, 190s. M. MACDONALD TIDKET PAD A-PPLIG-ATIOH FILED 1020.29. 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MURDOCH-MACDONALD, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE MACDONALD TICKET &- i

TICKET BOX COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TICKET-PAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 29,1905. Serial No. 293854.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

To all whom it may concern: l

Beit known that I, MUnnocH MACDONALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Ticket-Pads, of which the fol owing is a specification.

The present invention relates to ticket or check pads, composed of flexible sheets having duplicate columns of data thereon, which are adapted to be contained in a holder in a bent position, thereby placing the individual sheets under initial stress or spring tension, one portion of each sheet being concealed and the. other exposed.

The object in bending the pad is to 'cause the stub or concealed portion of each sheet to spring away from the severing edge after the exposed portion is severed, and the edge of said stub is released by a relative bodily movement of the pad and-severing edge.

The object of the invention is to provide a pad which is so constructed and arranged that, when bent and inserted in the holder, the lane of division for each sheet will successlvely register with the severing edge.

Other novel features lof the invention will be referred to hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one of the embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of a holder containing a pad; Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the holder; Fig. 3 is an inverted perspective view of the pad-retaining plate; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the pad before it is bent; Fig. 5 is an edge view of a pad showing how the sides are beveled by advaning one sheet with respect to the other; and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the base or backing sheet of the pad.

In order to appreciate the requisites of the pad, it is rst necessary to understand the construction and mode of operation of the holder.

The holder comprises a casing having a base 1, a curved side portion 2, a top 3 terminating in a longitudinally extending severing edge 4, and a removable pad-retaining plate 5 which also forms a wall of the casing. On the top of the casing and supported by the ends is a guide 6, and mounted thereon are one, two, three or more cutters 7 freely,

adjustable thereon. Each of the cutters contains a spring 8 to prevent it from sliding too freely, and is provided with a shar ened V- shaped end adapted to perforate tie sheet,

leaving a V-shaped notch on the detached portion and a V-shapedregistering projection on the concealed or auditors stub within the casing see dotted lines, Fig. 4. The retaining plate 5 is rovided on its lower right-hand corner wit "a projection 9 entering a corresponding groove 10 in the base l to form a securing means. The pad 11 is held in a bent position between the inner end of the plate and the severing edge.

. In the present illustration the portions of the pad form an acute angle with the retaining plate engaging the apex, but the angle can be changed if desired. The bending places the individual sheets under initial stress or spring tension so that the stub portion will spring back from the severing edge when the exposed portion is severed, as in Fig. 2. It is preferable to form the inner edge of the plate with a backwardly curved portion to prevent'it from cutting the sheets and also to form a bend in the pad of suitable curvature. Owing to the friction between the stub and the severing edge it is usually necessary to release it by a relative movement of the severing edge and sheet, as for example by depressing the pad and then releasing it, or moving-it bodily inward a slight amount and then outwardly to the normal position. This action permits the stub portions of the sheets with their V-shaped 1projections to spring back into the casing W ere they are inaccessible to the user.

On top of the plate is a lock 12, the key for which is kept by the auditor or other duly authorized erson. `The plate is held by a removablev ocking pin 13 having a ta ered end and a shoulder adapted to be he d by the spring-pressed locking bolt 14. On the pin is a spring-pressed head 15 having one or more sharpened pins 16. These pins are adapted to make small indentations on the base or backing sheet 17 of the pad. The object of this is to show whether or not the holder has been tampered with. When the pad is bent and inserted in the holder andthe plate locked by inserting the pin 13 there will be as many indentations on the base sheet as there are pins 16, and if the pin 13 is removed and reinserted it will make additional indentations, showing at once that the holder has been tampered with, since the liability of the pin 13 being inserted in absolutely the .same

position is so remote as to be disregarded.

On the under side of the retaining plate when assembled, are two pins 18 at right angles thereto which enter corresponding perforations in the pad and hold it in the proper position. Pivotally mounted on the vertically extending portion of the plate is a spring comprising two free ends 19 which press on the pad and a U-shaped intermediate portion 20 that is sprung over the pin 21. The pin is provided with notches to receive the wire forming the spring. When in the outer notch the stress on the spring is at a minimum and is"1`increased as it is sprung into the succeedingfnotches nearer the plate. This permits of using pads of different thickness. The notched ypin 21 also enters a slot or perforati-nin thepad. The data, Fig. 4, printed on each ofthe sheets is identical and is arranged in two parallel columns 22 and 23, column 22 being on the portion of the sheet adapted to be severed, and column 23 on the stub or retained portion. For railroad service the naines ofthe stations are printed in duplicate columns with a small space between, and either `above or below said stations are printed theamounts of fares to be paid. For store, restaurant-or other service other data will be printed' but arranged in the same general way. The exposed or receipt portion of each rsheet is sufliciently large to contain other data such as directions for its use, notice of the proper character to the recipient, etc. This yprinting is done in the space or spaces 24i The sheets are also numbered consecutively-in duplicate, one number being on the severed, and the other on the retained portion or auditors stub. In practice it has been found that a user sometimes pulls the padtoo liar out of the casing, thus exposing and tearing off the stub column of figures. To overcome this a second or auxiliary column of=iigures1is1printed on the stub which is a duplicate ofthe other. The sheets must be so placed in theholder that the severing edge 4A willl successively register with the narrow space '25 on'the sheets (the plane of division) between the columns of data as the exposed portions of the sheets are severed one after the other.

It isevident from inspection of Fig. 2 that theradius of curvature of thev bend of the base'sheet 17 is less than that of the more remotesheets and that theradii gradually increasein length from the base to the top sheeti Itis also apparent that the lengths of the sheets between the lpoints where the curvebegins and ceases successively increase from' the base sheet outward. It follows therefore, if identical sheets are to be used and-the'severingis to take place at the same distance from the outer edge'each time, that suitable compensation must be made. This isiattained'by advancing one sheet with respect to another by an amountl equal or sub-` .When the pad is in position in the holder however the outer or exposed side is rectangular or substantially so.

pass through the sheets as shown in Fig. 4, stitched or otherwise fastened together to preserve the beveled arrangement of the sides. The pads are then punched to provide orifices 26 to receive the retaining pins 18 and with an orifice or slot 27 to receive the notched pin 21. By preference the base sheet 17 is provided with small orifices 28 and 29 to receive the locking pin. 13 and notched pin 21, whereas the tickets proper are provided with a larger orifice or slot 27 so that a pad may be made up ofpartly used pads turned. in by conductors or clerks as the case may be. The pads made in accordance with Figs. 4 and 5 are then supplied to the railroads, stores or restaurants using the holders, and it is a simple matter to assemble them in place.

Itis not intended to sever the base sheet 17 and I prefer to make it out of somewhat thicker material than the tickets. It maybe made of a different material such as Celluloid, which is capable of exerting a somewhat greater spring effect than the paper'composing the remaining sheets. I may also make it of some thin spring metal which is capable of being bent and inserted with the pad.

This is helpful where butfew sheets remain in the holder. When made of metal it will usually not be secured to the pad but be assembled on the retaining plate separately. Since the spring-pressed sharpened projections 16 on the locking `pin will not indent the metal sufficiently to make a record, Tamay use other means for detecting tampering, such as pasting a piece of paper onthe metal adjacent the projections, or a separate sheet, loose or otherwise. YWhen made of a material such as paper or celluloid, the user of the holder is expected to write thereon his or her name, the date, time or number of trip or any other desired data. For this purpose the sheet is providedwith appropriately lettered spaces 30. Where metal is used a separate sheet may be provided for this purpose.

Thus far the description has been directed to the use and formation of new pads. It will now be directed to the use and formation of pads composed of partially used pads. In practice it seldom happens that a conductor clerk will use exactly the allotted number of tickets or checks, and unless rovisiofn is made for such contingencies t ere will be more or less waste which in a large system is highly objectionable. This is provided for by making one or more additional sets of oriiices. 1n the pad shown two additional sets 31 and 32 are shown. Vhen the holder is turned into the auditorsfofhce with a num- The sheets of the f- `pad are fastened together by staples 33 which ber of unused tickets or checks they are separated from the stubs by destroying the rivets or cutting the stitching, and the sheets thus obtained are assembled, either loosely or in pad form with a new pad, if the number is not large, and reinserted in the holder.

In order to make the alinement correct with the severing edge 4, the pins 1S are inserted in the oriiices 31 if the number of sheets is comparatively large, and. in the oriiices 32 if the number is comparatively small, the pins 18 entering the orifices 26 in the new pad, `thus preserving the beveled relation within the casing. Assuming that the pad is composed of two or more partially used pads, the same method of procedure is followed, certain of the sheets being retained by passing the pins 'through one set of orifices, and the other or others through the remainder. In practice it is found that three sets of orifices suflice for the purpose, but more or less may be provided if desired, depending uponthe number of sheets in the pad. The oriiice 27 is suiciently large so as not to interfere.

In using the holder for railroad service the cutters are adjusted to points opposite the place where the journey begins, the destination and the amount of fare paid. The conductor then grasps the uppermost -ticket and moves it upward to a substantially vertical position, which causes the cutters to perforate the ticket and by a downward movement along the edge 4 severs the ticket from the` stub on a plane between the parallel columns. The detached portionis handed to the passenger as a receipt for the money paid. The pad is then grasped by the hand and depressed or moved inwardly bodily by a sufficient amount to release the edge of the stub from contact with the thin `severing edge, after which it is returned to its normal position. This releasing movement is very slight on account of the thinness of the severing edge, and the fact that the projections made by the cutters are small.

Where it is desired to make more indications on a sheet than there are cutters, one cutter may be used two or more times, and the paper perforated one or more additional times before being severed, or more cutters can be provided.

When used in a store, restaurant or other place, the method of cutting 'and severing the sheets is the same, the only difference being the character of the items on the sheets. It will thus be seen that the auditor can keep accurate check on the employees, and also of the number of tickets or checks issued.

When the ticket is to be used for other railroads than the one illustrated, the names of the stations will of course be changed and the amounts of fare paid may also be changed. In some cases it is unnecessary to provide such items on the tickets as baggage, milk, lhalf-fare, agents ticket and "mileage7 and where such is the case, some or all of said items may be omitted.

I have shown and described the tickets or checks as being provided with two parallel columns of printed data, each column composed partly of figures and partly of names of stations and other data, but under certain conditions the figures may be omitted.

The construction of the holder is not claimed herein because it forms the subject matter of my w'Patent No. 856,410, dated June l1, 1907.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described theprinciple of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A plurality of sheets of the same size assembled into a pad with beveled sides, means fastening said sheets together to form such a pad, each of said sheets being perforated to receive a retaining pin, the said perforations being arranged in suoli a way that when so assembled they will register.

2. A ticketor check-pad comprising a plurality of sheets with means for fastening them together, the said pad having beveled sides, the sheets being provided with perforations at different distances from a side, whereby partly used pads can be assembled and the proper beveled arrangement of the sides preserved..

3. A ticket-,or check-pad adapted to be inserted in a holder in a bent position and comprising sheets of identical shape and size, each provided with data thereon arranged in parallel columns, the columns on one sheet being advanced slightly with respect to those on another, a means for fastening the sheets together with beveled sides, the amount of bevel being such that when the pad is bent for use the said columns on the sheets will register.

4; A plurality of sheets of the same size assembled into a pad with beveled sides each of said sheets comprising a stub portion having a column of data thereon, and a portion that is exposed when the pad is mounted in its holder, which also has a column of data thereon, and means fastening said sheets together which pass through the stub portions of the sheets, each of said sheets being perforated to receive retaining pins.

5. A ticketor check-pad composed of a plurality of sheets of the same size, the said pad having beveled sides, means which bass through said sheets and fasten them together to form such a pad, and a flexible base or backing sheet for the bottom only of the los pad which offers a greater resistance to bendl staples 33 which pass through the sheets for ing than. the other sheets and has spaces thereon appropriately designated for the entrance of data.

6. A plurality of sheets of the same size assembled into a pad With beveled sides, means which pass through the sheets for fastening them together to form such a pad, the said sheets being perforated to receive retaining pins, and also slotted to permit of the assembling and use of partially consumed pads.

7. A plurality of sheets of the same size assembled into a pad With beveled sides,

fastening them together to form such a pad, the said sheets being provided with perforations to receive retaining pins, Which perforations are arranged in sets, and also with a slot 27 to permit of the assembling and use 2O of partially consumed pads.

In Witness whereof l have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of December 1905.

MURDOCH MACDONALD.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. PRICE, RAYMOND DIX.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 878,970, granted February 11, 1908, upon the application of Murdoch Macdonald, of Cleveland, Ohio, for an improvement in Ticket-Pads, errors appear in the printed specification requiringl correction, as

follows: In line V121, page 2, the Word or should be inserted after the Word conduetor7 and ih line 127, page 3, the Word bass should be pass and that thesaid Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the recordof the case in the Patent Oce.

signed end eeeled this ioeh dey ef Meren, A. D., 1908.

[SEAL] o. o. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

